Experience

Cases

The following is a non-exhaustive set of cases which only represent a sample of work done. They are provided on a no-name basis as we maintain client confidentiality at all times.

Consumer Goods & Services

Consumer markets today offer new opportunities and challenges due to often sudden and discontinuous shifts. Players at every stage of the value chain – manufacturers, brand owners, and channel members at every level – are being impacted by demographic, social and technological changes.

Over a number of assignments, I’ve researched these changes for clients, through a mix of quantitative and qualitative research amongst consumers (“Voice of Customer”), trade channels (“Voice of Trade”) and manufacturers (Industry/ Sector profiling).This has helped clients focus on specific/niche customer needs and adopt new business models that can take advantage of growth opportunities, while adapting to today’s intense competitive pressures.

  • Strategic Plan for a large diversified Indian manufacturer of consumer products such as luggage, toys and furniture.
  • Strategic Review for a line of OTC nutrition products from a multinational pharmaceutical and foods manufacturer.
  • Market entry and financial feasibility assessment for a large industrial house in the UAE wishing to enter the dairy and fresh juice business.
  • Market entry and Financial feasibility assessment for a large industrial house in the Sultanate of Oman wishing to launch a range of bottled mineral water.

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Industrial Goods & Services

Industrial Markets are characterized by large volume commodity products produced in capital intensive plants, sold to industrial and processing customers and distinguished by a very high degree of price elasticity. Industrial companies are facing new pressures and find it increasingly difficult to squeeze out a competitive edge that provides adequate returns from their existing business models. The shift of focus is generally towards niche large margin products typically made for specific customers.

Global consolidation is also beginning to have an effect on the Indian market, which is both extremely competitive and highly fragmented. It is also characterized by lower affordability and emphasis on basic manufactures. Companies would have to increasingly enhance their marketing and retailing capability in addition to developing brands and proprietary products to ensure long-term growth and profitability in this sector.

The industrial sector is also characterized by relatively low investment demand and under-capacity/over-capacity cycles. It is inextricably linked to the infrastructure projects being set up in the country. As a result the fortunes of companies in this sector are directly linked to the general state of economy, with a less than modest rate of economic growth resulting in a downward spiral in growth and profitability.

I have in-depth understanding of the dynamics of this sector, and intensive experience with a number of companies in core industrial sectors such as:

  • Steel & Cement
  • Power Equipment – Power Transformers, Power Cables, LV Switchgear, Meters and SCADA systems
  • Telecom Equipment – Telecom cables
  • Chemical sector – Bulk Pharma, Leather and Textile Dyes & Chemicals, Essential Oils
  • Ceramic Sanitaryware
  • Office Furniture and Office partitioning systems
  • Auto ancillaries
  • Strategic Review of Indian Temperature-Controlled Logistics (TCL) Market
  • Diversification Study for a large Indian manufacturer of High Voltage Transformers.
  • Strategy Review for a multinational dyes and chemicals manufacturer.
  • Corporate Strategy and Transformation one of India’s largest electrical industry conglomerates
  • Corporate Plan creation for a producer of ceramic products.
  • Business Strategy and Transformation exercise for Indian automobile ancillaries company.
  • Multi-Country Market Assessment of the PSA Tapes industry in four Asian countries
  • Financial feasibility assessment of bottled LPG business for a large Omani industrial house
  • Feasibility assessment of a spice oleoresin extraction project for Omani investment company.
  • Market Assessment of Slag Cement Usage in India for a large Cement manufacturer.
  • Demand forecasting for Cold Rolled Steel in 20 target industries.

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Industrial goods
Cases – Industrial Goods & Services

Diversification Study for a large Indian manufacturer of heavy electrical products The project involved a review of the internal resources and structures of the company, and an analysis of its operating policies as per expected changes in the operating environment. Based on the results of this internal analysis, a feasibility review of potential investment opportunities in a number of industries was undertaken to arrive at an optimal diversification strategy that would achieve proposed turnover levels.

Strategic Transformation exercise for a member of one of India’s largest conglomerates. The assignment involved the development of a corporate strategy for the business basket (electrical sector), and re-engineering processes into the optimal configuration that would best support the strategy. The assignment involved the implementation of the new strategy and processes through manufacturing and structural initiatives.

Strategy Review for a multinational dyes and chemicals manufacturer The project involved a review of the business strategy of the organization in light trends in the macro-environment and in user industries, and the formulation of recommendation addressing strategic and operational issues.

Corporate Plan creation for a producer of ceramic products. This involved an analysis of the industry structure and operating norms, an examination of the client firm’s capabilities and the design of appropriate competitive strategies.

Business Strategy and Corporate Transformation exercise for a member of one of India’s largest and oldest corporate groups in the automobile ancillaries sector. After reviewing markets and customer needs through a Voice of Customer exercise, a detailed market-product strategy was drawn up and implemented along with structural and systemic changes to marketing, manufacturing, human resource management and purchase functions.

Multi-Country Market Assessment of the PSA Tapes industry in four target countries (China, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia) for a Japanese logistics/manufacturing major looking to increase its pan-Asia footprint in the industrial packing market. The engagement involved primary and secondary research using teams across 3 countries to collect, compile and analyze data with the final output from the India team.

Financial feasibility assessment for a large industrial house in the Sultanate of Oman wishing to enter the bottled LPG distribution business. The assignment involved modeling the business practices, and making long term projections of profitability, cash flows and returns.

Financial modelling and feasibility assessment for a large investment company wishing to invest in a high –technology spice oleoresin extraction project in Oman. The coverage involved the development of a business model, financial projections and a sensitivity analysis, and the identification of risk factors.

Market Assessment – Evaluation of the likely usage and acceptance of Slag Cement in India, profiling the trade universe, assessing sales levels, forecasting demand at a district level till 2010, formulating market entry strategies

Demand forecasting – Identification and review of over 20 industries in India using Cold Rolled Steel in their products, an assessment of the unit consumption in each industry, and a forecast of demand for CR till 2005 AD.

Strategic Review of Indian Temperature-Controlled Logistics (TCL) Market – A Fortune100 Japanese multinational conglomerate with a presence in automobiles, industrial equipment and logistics was interested in acquiring an Indian temperature-controlled logistics (TCL) operator to transport and warehouse frozen foods nationally. It therefore wished to conduct an assessment of the entire TCL industry segment.

Cases -Government & Public Services

Tourism Development Agency – The client requirements were to assess the potential for development of coastal tourism industry in centrally-designated Special Tourism Areas. The company’s brief involved the onsite review of facilities, infrastructure and attractions, and the formulation of district level development plans within the framework of the National Policy on Tourism.

Department of Posts – Collaboration Opportunity Assessment for the world’s two largest postal systems – United States Postal Service (USPS) and India Post. USPS requested Accenture to examine the opportunities in the India – USA air transportation market with focus on CEP services, identification of service features and additional products, and outline of an operating model for collaboration between USPS and India Post. The engagement developed projections of CEP and Priority Freight, provided insights on customers and competitors, and outlined the offering features and downstream capabilities required for market success. Based on the report USPS and India Post are developing a collaborative model to offer Priority Freight services between India and the USA to B2B, B2C and C2C customers in India.

Business Planning for a large government-owned public transport company in the Sultanate of Oman. The assignment involved developing a marketing and business strategy for the company, assessing the long term business model, and identifying operational weaknesses and changes required. The team developed routes, assessed fleet size and composition, and outlined a new organization structure.

A large government-owned public transport company in the Sultanate of Oman was the focus of the Government’s privatization program, requiring the development of a Memorandum of Information for distribution to potential investors.

Assessment of the feasibility of a post delivery system for the Ministry of Communications in the Sultanate of Oman. The assignment required the assessment of the likely load on the system, developing the logistical system and assessing the financial performance and the exposure to risks.

Review of the export market in Yemen for a large nodal export promotion agency, for products manufactured in Oman.

Cases – Nonprofits

Creation of India Country Strategy for US NGO – Operating for 15 years in India, this NGO had grown erratically, with 7 programs spread over 4 themes. This affected both funding as well as operational efficiencies. The engagement therefore rethought its rationale for existence in India, the thematic and program approach to be followed, proposed a shift in the operating model in terms of organization structure and support capabilities, and identified key factors required by changes in the internal and external environment to be addressed.

Strategy Implementation for Indian branch of US NGO, including Change Planning and Support. After developing a new strategy, the organization required the preparation of a change implementation plan. Also, the organization proposed to spinoff several of its programs. This required the inclusion of several specific activities in the strategy implementation plan, as well as the identification of specialized advisory partners to guide the organization in its legal and operating changes.

Restructuring of Global Secretariat of International NGO in the UK – The central body of this multi-country affiliate-based operation was redesigned in terms of its approach, role, services and structure, moving from a support role to one providing common services and guidelines for old and new affiliates, entities, programs, countries, and functions. This was through a distributed structure based on a network of internal service providers. Elements, organization-wide standards and guidelines, and structures were defined for the new operating model, covering specific functional areas viz.Human Resources, Finance, IT, MIS & ERP

Establishment of Governance – Structure and responsibilities for an international NGO engaged in a core structural transition, defining high-level decision making processes and meetings that will define the management of the change process. Using this all stakeholders were involved to develop the governance approach, structure and processes.

Affiliate auditing parameters and Audit Tool development – Working through local affililiates, the international governing body needed a standardized audit framework to assess both existing and proposed affiliates. The project therefore included identification of key parameters, lifecycle-driven prioritization rules, and development of a spreadsheet-based tool to provide an assessment score. It included a detailed manual for users and training materials so that the tool could be used by multiple teams without detailed handholding. The aspects examined included strategy, structures, processes for the following areas– Legal, Governance, Funds Generation, Finance, HR, IT systems & MIS, Communications, Campaigns, Humanitarian, Programs, Knowledge Base and Relationships.

Business Model and Business Plan for Indian affiliate of INGO – Using interviews and workshops with the affiliate’s leadership, the affiliate strategy was defined (derived and aligned with global vision) and then the business model was developed, focusing on objectives, stakeholders, value proposition and a market analysis. A Business Plan was created to detail out the business model in the areas of Finance & Income Planning, Communication Planning and Governance Structure & Operations. Last, a Change Plan was built describing how the affiliate planned and managed the implementation of the required changes to achieve the desired business model.

Cases – Real Estate

Hotel Market Review and Feasibility study for Retail Space Development in India for an international hotel chain. The study required the review of the retail and property market, concept identification and concept testing amongst consumers and retailers, identification of target consumers, sizing and valuation of catchment areas, estimation of traffic potentials, configuration of the retail property with respect to scale of development, tenant mix and number of outlets, and the projections of financial estimates based on a market-driven property pricing structure. The study led to a number of similar follow-on assignments across other major urban centers.

Market Review and Concept Development for a large Mixed-Use Development consisting of a retail complex, city hotel and assorted facilities.

Market Review and Feasibility study for the development of a City Beach Resort located in Oman. The assignment required a review of the hotel industry in Oman, leisure trends and the development of a revenue model. In addition, it required the development of a financial model to assess the project’s returns to the developer through a projection of income, profits and cash flows.

Assessment of the scope for a Mixed Use Development for a major development house in Oman. The assignment required a review of the various development options in terms of retail, commercial, and residential space (hotel as well as non-commercial options such as apartments, villas, etc). The team reviewed the entire market in each of these segments, explored consumer preferences and made recommendations regarding possible concepts and usages.

Financial feasibility assessment for the development of a commercial building in the Central Business District of Oman’s capital city.

Review of the Commercial Property market for a large international property development and management company in three Indian metropolitan cities, carried out through a on-site analysis of trends and future developments, to identify potential site-specific property applications and commercial considerations.

Cases – Education & Training

Feasibility assessment for an international educational institution based in London and looking to develop a branch in India. The project involved identification of a project site, conceptualizing the campus habitat and curriculum, interacting with various regulatory bodies in London, Geneva, Bombay and Delhi, and developing a model to assess the financial feasibility of the project.

Conceiving, establishing a School of Nursing Education in a large North Indian town, in association with a major Indian healthcare corporate, enrolling 80-100 students per year.

Financial and Operating Pre-Feasibility Assessment of a tertiary level management institute to be based in a major North Indian city, promoted by a UK-based group. The assignment involved designing an industry-driven curriculum, developing an organization structure based on the expected enrollment and the curriculum, and making projections of revenues, expenses, investments and liabilities over the short and medium term.

Designed and launched pre-hire BPO training system for BPO new hires. Developed training content, negotiated and rolled out trials in 3 states with multiple training delivery partners using government bodies, corporate partnerships, and educational institutions. Final proof of concept pre-hire training model delivered 10X level of results compared to existing model.

Cases – Banking

Strategic Review of a large European Bank with global retail, asset management and investment banking operations. This short exercise involved identification of market trends, competitive analysis and assessment of value levers; and was used as an input in the banks internal planning process.

Cooperative Banking sector – The project involved the analysis of the performance of the banking industry in general, of the co-operative sector in particular with respect to the stated role of financing micro-level industrial infrastructure, identification of growth areas, and assessment of the bank’s competitive ability. The assignment also involved a structural reorganization.

Cases – Telecom

Offering Design and Market Entry Strategy for the world’s largest communications holding company serving over 71 million customers in the US alone. The firm had finalized a plan to develop and offer its own branded consumer home services across a 50-state footprint., and required assistance in Consumer Marketing. In eight weeks, the team developed a behavior/attitudes driven customer segmentation scheme, identified and sized key markets at a city level, and developed product definitions along with a spread-sheet based financial model. The team also identified competitive gaps by developing a comprehensive competitive analysis of all players offering similar or competing services to consumers. With the complete knowledge of the competitors strengths and weaknesses, and an understanding of their offerings, the client was able to develop a product-services portfolio that was able to meet customer’s needs better than that of competitors, and also easily aligned to its brand values and positioning.

Market entry assessment for a large Japanese telecom (wireless/mobile) major exploring the India market. The engagement provided inputs on the market eco-system such as technology, regulation, handset trends, telecom infrastructure and key VAS features. The team also profiled customer characteristics, the entry strategies adopted by other entrants, and an update on deals underway.